This invention relates to the field of high pressure processing. More particularly, this invention relates of high pressure processing where a workpiece is agitated.
Fluid processing of a workpiece often requires agitation of the workpiece. In high pressure processing, a prior art method of agitation of the workpiece includes placing the workpiece on a holder connected by a drive shaft through a pressure chamber housing to a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism rotates the drive shaft and consequently rotates the holder to provide agitation of the workpiece. A second prior art method of agitation of the workpiece uses a magnetically coupled motor, where a magnetic field drives a rotor within the pressure chamber housing.
Providing either the drive shaft through the pressure chamber housing or a magnetically coupled motor complicates design and fabrication of a high pressure processing system. Further, providing either the drive shaft through the pressure chamber housing or the magnetically coupled motor is expensive.
What is needed is a method of agitating a workpiece in a pressure chamber that does not use a drive shaft through a pressure chamber housing and that does not use a magnetically coupled motor.
What is needed is a method of agitating a workpiece in a pressure chamber that is more economical than using a drive shaft through a pressure chamber housing and that is more economical than using a magnetically coupled motor.
An apparatus for agitating a workpiece in a high pressure environment of the present invention comprises a workpiece holder, a bearing, a pressure chamber housing, and a nozzle. The workpiece holder couples to the pressure chamber housing via the bearing. The nozzle couples to the pressure chamber housing. The workpiece holder comprises protrusions and a region for holding the workpiece. In operation a fluid exits the nozzle and impinges the protrusions of the workpiece holder causing the workpiece holder to rotate, which agitates the workpiece.